Gujarat Health Minister requests for calm after Zika detection in Ahmedabad

Representational image

New Delhi: Gujarat Health Minister Shankar Chaudhary has asserted that there was no need to be worried as actions have been taken in accordance to the guidelines of World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Government of India after cases of Zika were reported from Ahmedabad.

He said that the Centre and the state government are fully ready to deal with any kind of epidemic, while adding that the reported cases of Zika have also been cured and no new case has cropped up.

"Health department of the Centre and the state is ready and equipped to combat any virus or epidemic.

When cases of Zika virus were reported from Ahmedabad, so according to the WHO protocol we took action accordingly because of which the virus could not spread," said Chaudhary.`

The people who were diagnosed of the virus are now fit and have been cured. And no new case of Zika has been found in Gujarat, so I request all to not panic," he added.

Asserting that India has a strong surveillance system to detect and contain new Zika virus infection, the Union Health Ministry yesterday requested the nation to remain calm.

Hours after the WHO confirmed the first three cases of Zika Virus, including a pregnant woman in India, sources in the Health Ministry said that it is closely monitoring the situation.

The Health Ministry further said that both the pregnant lady and the child are safe and healthy.

The ministry clarified that only three Zika cases have been detected in a round of 50, 000 tests, adding that no mosquitoes were detected positive.

The state health departments are all following standard protocols on the same.

(With ANI inputs)